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BUSTLE.

Patented Oct. 41887L N. FEVER SSSS n-Lih0gvlphen Washington. IJ4 C.

UNITED STATES V'Pari-:NT Ormes.,

HENRY O. CANFIELD, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO ITHE CANFIELDRUBBER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

Bus'TLE.

SPE CIFICATIN forming part of Letters Patent No. 370,927, dated October4, 1887.

I Application filed June 18, 1987. Serial No. 241,783. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, HENRY O. CANFIELD, residing at Bridgeport, in thecounty of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a certainnew and useful Improvement in Bustles; and I do hereby deelarethefollowing to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainstomake and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in bustles.

The object of the present invention is to afford a simple and efficientmeans Aof constructing a bustle that may be made to fold flat againstthe person of the wearer when a sitting position is assumed, and thatwill be instantly caused to resume an extended form usual to suchappendages or supports to the skirts of female attire.

A further object is to construct a bustle that may be folded and resumeits shape without a complication of parts, and that can be producedrapidly in quantity at a low initial cost.

With these objects in view my invention consists in certain features ofconstruction and combinations of parts,that will be hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings making a part of this specification, Figurelis aside elevation in section, showin-g the interior of the bustle andthe attached retractile spring. Fig. 2.is a detached View ofthe spring.Fig. 3 shows another form of the spring in position on a bustle.

In the drawings I have only shown one side or half of abustle; but theconstruction ofthe other side or half is in all respects similar to theside shown.

A represents one of two body-pieces, preferably made of elastic metal,and enveloped with afibrous cover. To these body-pieces eyelets areaftixed,to permit a cord to be inserted, that is useful to change theform of the bustle and make it project more or less,as may bedesired.

Upon the body-strips A, near their outer edges, the eyelet-bars B arepreferably secured by llexible bars, bands, or lacings,that permit ahinged action of the bars B upon the bodystrips. These eyelet-bars B areperforated at spaced intervals to receive securing-eyelets,

by which the at spring-bows C C? C3 are pivotally attached to have aswinging motion upon those points of connection.

Upon the upper spring-bows, C2 C3, similar Hat bows, D D', arepivoted,to permit them to vibrate. The spacing-tape E, or other flexibleband,is attached at proper points upon the spring-bows C C2 C3 to holdthesebows in horizontal and parallel position when the bustle isuncompressed, the tapeE being connected at its upper end to the securingband A2, by which the bustle is held in place upon the wearer.

The device by which the spring-bows C C2, Src., are heldin normalposition, and that permits a folding action of these bows, is shown inFig. 1. It consists of two spiralsprings,F, one on each side,constructed of spring-wire, and having their Vends extended about at aright angle to each other. The springs F are attached, preferably, uponthe inner surface of the eyelet-bars B, near their lower ends, to causethe coils of the springs to form joints,as the upright extended ends cof the springs are affixed to the inner surface of the eyelet-barsB,while the horizontal short extensions d are secured by their outerends to the lower springbow, C, the tension of the spiral springsholding the lower spring-bow about at right angles to the verticalbody-strips and eyelet-bars.

Y It is evident that the elevation or upward swinging movement of thelower bar, C, will permit the other spring-bows above it to be folded,and that a release of this spring-bow will `by the action of the spiralsprings F cause an automatic resumption of projected adjustment of theseries ofspring-bows, to extend the skirts of the wearer, the collapseof the bustle being effected when a sitting or reclining position isassumed by the person wearing it.

In Fig. 3 another form of the springs shown in Fig. l is exhibited. Inthis device the spiral springs F are formed on one piece of springwirebent in to a bowshape. The form and size of the wire bow S' adapts it tolie against the inner surface of the lower hat spring-bow, C, the centerof the bow S4 being loosely secured in contact with the bow C by a loopof the spacing-tape E, to prevent the displacement of bow S and causethe bow-spring C to be actu- ICOl ated by the vert-ical folding ofthebow S. The spiral springs F are located near the points of pivotalconnection of the lower dat springbow, C,with the eyelet-bars B, andtheir free ends c are bent into eyes, through which eyelets or rivetsare inserted through the eyeletbarsBto secure these ends to the bars. Itwill be seen that this form of construction will afford the sameadvantages as the style of spring-bowextenders shown in Fig. Land thatthe bow S, when made to swing upwardly by pressure, suoli asisincidental to the assuming oa sitting or reclining posture by awenrer,will have a hinged movement or yielding action of its integral spiralsprings F, and that these, from their tension,will instantly cause adownward movement ofthe bnr C, andthe series of connected bars C?, &e.,to extend the bustle and cause it to take its normal shape when such apressure is relaxed.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a bustle, the eombinatiomwith a waistband, supports for carryingthe spring-bows, 25 spring-bows pivoted to said supports, and a tapeconnecting the bows and waistband, of two flat coiled springs, eachhaving a short upper arm and a longer lower arm, the short upper armsbeing attached to their respective 3o spring-bow supports and the longerlower arms to one of the spring-bows, substantially as set forth.

2. In abnstle,the combination,with awaistband, body-strips, eyelet-bars,and spring- 35 bows pivotally secured to the eyelet-bars,of a springhaving two spiral coils formed of its bodylintegrally at oppositepoints, attached to the eyelet-bars by its ends and to the lowerspring-bow intermediate thereof, substantially 4o as set forth.

In testimony whereof I ailx mysgnature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY O. CANFIELD.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM T. HAVILAND, 1WM. D. BisHor, J r.

